Example systems and methods to maintain process control systems are disclosed. A disclosed example method involves retrieving first information and determining whether the first information is associated with a process control system. If the first information is associated with the process control system, second information is generated to indicate that the first information is associated with the process control system. It is also determined whether the first information is associated with a particular node of the process control system. If the first information is associated with the particular node of the process control system, third information is generated to indicate that the first information is associated with the particular node.
Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.
1. A method for determining whether information is associated with a process control system, comprising: registering a process control system with a server at which a plurality of other process control systems are registered, the process control system located at a first plant site geographically separate from other plant sites of the plurality of other process control systems; monitoring, via the server, the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems to facilitate maintaining the process control systems; retrieving first information from a database in communication with the server based on the monitoring of the process control systems, the database configured to store general type information pertaining to general operations of the process control systems and specific type information pertaining to operations of particular process control system components; determining whether the first information is associated with general process control system operations, the first information being associated with the general process control system operations when the first information is identified as pertaining to a plurality of the process control system components of different device types based on matches between at least one criterion in the first information and criteria associated with the plurality of the process control system components; when the first information is not associated with the general process control system operations, determining whether the first information is associated with a particular component of the process control system; if the first information is associated with the particular component of the process control system, identifying the particular component of the process control system based on a component identifier located in the first information; and communicating the first information to a user, the first information including an action category selected from a group comprising a required action category and an advisement category, wherein the required action category indicates that action must be taken at some point and the advisement category indicates information associated with improving system performance.
2. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first information includes a knowledge base article (“KBA”) submitted to the database by an end user of one of the plurality of other process control systems.
3. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first information includes technical information to help an operator of the process control system identify issues related to the process control system or related to devices of the process control system.
4. A method as defined in claim 3 , wherein the technical information includes notifications of at least one of operating errors or maintenance procedures.
5. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the particular component includes a field device communicatively coupled to and remotely located from a controller of the process control system, and wherein monitoring the process control system comprises monitoring a status of the field device.
6. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein determining whether the first information is associated with the particular component of the process control system comprises comparing a device type described in the first information with a device type of the particular component, the device type of the particular component being registered in the server during an initial enrollment of the process control system with the server.
7. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein communicating the first information to the user comprises communicating the first information via at least one of a really simple syndication (“RSS”) feed, an electronic mail, or a web page.
8. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein communicating the first information to the user comprises communicating the first information based on the user being associated with a job responsibility pertaining to the first information.
9. An apparatus for determining whether information is associated with a process control system, comprising: a server to register a process control system and a plurality of other process control systems to facilitate maintaining the process control systems, the process control system located at a first plant site geographically separate from other plant sites of the plurality of other process control systems; an interface in communication with the server to retrieve first information from a database in communication with the server based on monitoring of the process control systems, the database configured to store general type information pertaining to general operations of the process control systems and specific type information pertaining to operations of particular process control system components; a comparator to: determine whether the first information is associated with general process control system operations, the first information being associated with the general process control system operations when the first information is identified as pertaining to a plurality of the process control system components of different device types based on matches between at least one criterion in the first information and criteria associated with the plurality of the process control system components; when the first information is not associated with the general process control system operations, determine whether the first information is associated with a particular component of the process control system; and if the first information is associated with the particular component of the process control system, identify the particular component of the process control system based on a component identifier located in the first information; and a communication interface to communicate the first information to a user, the first information including an action category selected from a group comprising a required action category and an advisement category, wherein the required action category indicates that action must be taken at some point and the advisement category indicates information associated with improving system performance.
10. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the first information includes a knowledge base article (“KBA”) submitted to the database by an end user of one of the plurality of other process control systems.
11. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the first information includes technical information to help an operator of the process control system identify issues related to the process control system or related to devices of the process control system.
12. An apparatus as defined in claim 11 , wherein the technical information includes notifications of at least one of operating errors or maintenance procedures.
13. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the particular component includes a field device communicatively coupled to and remotely located from a controller of the process control system, and wherein monitoring the process control system comprises monitoring a status of the field device.
14. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the comparator is to determine whether the first information is associated with the particular component of the process control system by comparing a device type described in the first information with a device type of the particular component, the device type of the particular component being registered in the server during an initial enrollment of the process control system with the server.
15. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the communication interface is one of a really simple syndication (“RSS”) interface, an electronic mail interface, or a web page interface.
16. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the communication interface is to communicate the first information based on of the user being associated with a job responsibility pertaining to the first information.
17. A machine accessible medium having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause a machine to: register a process control system with a server at which a plurality of other process control systems are registered, the process control system located at a first plant site geographically separate from other plant sites of the plurality of other process control systems monitor, via the server, the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems to facilitate maintaining the process control systems; retrieve first information from a database in communication with the server based on the monitoring of the process control systems, the database configured to store general type information pertaining to general operations of the process control systems and specific type information pertaining to operations of particular process control system components; determine whether the first information is associated with general process control system operations, the first information being associated with the general process control system operations when the first information is identified as pertaining to a plurality of the process control system components of different device types based on matches between at least one criterion in the first information and criteria associated with the plurality of the process control system components; when the first information is not associated with the general process control system operations, determine whether the first information is associated with a particular component of the process control system; if the first information is associated with the particular component of the process control system, identify the particular component of the process control system based on a component identifier located in the first information; and communicate the first information to a user, the first information including an action category selected from a group comprising a required action category, and an advisement category, wherein the required action category indicates that action must be taken at some point and the advisement category indicates information associated with improving system performance.
18. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first information includes a knowledge base article (“KBA”) submitted to the database by an end user of one of the plurality of other process control systems.
19. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first information includes technical information to help an operator of the process control system identify issues related to the process control system or related to devices of the process control system.
20. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 19 , wherein the technical information includes notifications of at least one of operating errors or maintenance procedures.
21. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the particular component includes a field device communicatively coupled to and remotely located from a controller of the process control system, and wherein monitoring the process control system comprises monitoring a status of the field device.
22. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to determine whether the first information is associated with the particular component of the process control system by comparing a device type described in the first information with a device type of the particular component, the device type of the particular component being registered in the server during an initial enrollment of the process control system with the server.
23. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to communicate the first information to the user via at least one of a really simple syndication (“RSS”) feed, an electronic mail, or a web page.
24. The machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to communicate the first information to the user based on the user being associated with a job responsibility pertaining to the first information.
25. A method as defined in claim 6 , wherein the first information includes at least one criterion indicative of a device serial number, a hardware revision number, or a software revision number, and further comprising, when the device type described in the first information matches the device type of the particular component of the process control system, confirming that the first information should not be indicated as a non-match with the particular component by determining that the at least one criterion indicative of the device serial number from the first information matches a component criterion associated with the particular component.
26. A method as defined in claim 1 , further comprising, when the first information is associated with the general process control system operations, storing match information indicating that the first information applies to the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems.
27. A method as defined in claim 1 , wherein the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems are in communication with the server via a wide area network.
28. A method as defined in claim 27 , wherein the wide area network is the Internet.
29. An apparatus as defined in claim 14 , wherein the first information includes at least one criterion indicative of a device serial number, a hardware revision number, or a software revision number, and when the device type described in the first information matches the device type of the particular component of the process control system, the comparator is further to confirm that the first information should not be indicated as a non-match with the particular component by determining that the at least one criterion indicative of the device serial number from the first information matches a component criterion associated with the particular component.
30. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , further comprising a match indicator to store match information indicating that the first information applies to the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems when the first information is associated with the general process control system operations.
31. An apparatus as defined in claim 9 , wherein the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems are in communication with the server via a wide area network.
32. An apparatus as defined in claim 31 , wherein the wide area network is the Internet.
33. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the first information includes at least one criterion indicative of a device serial number, a hardware revision number, or a software revision number, and when the device type described in the first information matches the device type of the particular component of the process control system, instructions stored on the machine accessible medium, when executed, cause the machine to confirm that the first information should not be indicated as a non-match with the particular component by determining that the at least one criterion indicative of the device serial number from the first information matches a component criterion associated with the particular component.
34. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 having instructions stored thereon that, when executed, cause the machine to store match information indicating that the first information applies to the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems when the first information is associated with the general process control system operations.
35. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 17 , wherein the process control system and the plurality of other process control systems are in communication with the server via a wide area network.
36. A machine accessible medium as defined in claim 35 , wherein the wide area network is the Internet.
Cooperative Patent Classification codes for this invention. Click any code to explore related patents in that topic.
August 16, 2006
April 13, 2010
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